Transportation Policy

“The refurbished interchange is a toned-down version of an earlier, controversial plan that would have taken up to 340 homes to add express lanes on the interstates. Another discarded version would have taken between 30 and 100 homes . . . .The project also includes $10 million worth of trail upgrades, plus enhanced lighting and landscaping in the vicinity of …

“The plan includes three phases. First, HART will replace 74 diesel buses that are ready for replacement within the next two years. Then, in the next two to five years, HART could replace as many as 44 diesel buses with electric battery buses.” See More . . . Image: Photo By Wslupecki / Public Domain, via Wikimedia CommonsText Source: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/driving-tampa-bay-forward/hart-looks-to-replace-diesel-buses-with-electric-battery-buses-by-2035By: …

“The study also finds easy access to ride-sharing discourages commuters from taking greener alternatives, such as walking or public transportation. Survey data from various U.S. cities also showed that approximately half of TNC trips would otherwise have been made by walking, cycling, public transport, or would not have been made at all.” See More . . . Image: Photo By …

“Two companion bills in the House and Senate are making their way through the statehouse to keep you safe when you cross the street. Yet, some local transportation leaders worry the bills could have unintended consequences and could actually put all of us in more danger.” See More . . . Image: Photo By ESRP / All Rights Reserved, via …

“The Florida Department of Transportation is now considering using Internally Illuminated Reflective Pavement Markers (IIRPMs) as an additional countermeasure to deter wrong-way drivers from entering freeway off-ramps. This is in addition to the flashing signs that are already used. . . The Tampa Bay area has been the site of several recent deadly wrong-way crashes, including one that killed Tampa …

“According to FDOT, this is the sixth request for an extension of lease negotiations for Brightline to build a rail line in a highway right-of-way. But those negotiations were halted March 27, 2020, after Gov. Ron Desantis issued an executive order stopping Brightline’s and other such processes around the state, due to the pandemic. Two days before that, Brightline suspended …

“Bus rapid transit lines, or BRT, typically operate in dedicated lanes, making them less susceptible to congestion delays. As proposed, the rapid buses would travel in their own dedicated lanes for 31 miles of the 41-mile line. Almost the entire route would run along Interstate 275, with 13 stops between downtown St. Petersburg and Wesley Chapel, with major connections in …

“New numbers from Forward Pinellas show crashes caused by speeding are up 60% in particular periods of 2020 versus 2019. Leaders at the Florida Department of Transportation say speeding has become a contributing factor in one-third of all fatal crashes . . . Law enforcement across Tampa Bay plan to step up patrols, but they hope you’ll help too by …

“The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) today announced it is seeking applicants for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 round of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program. INFRA grants will fund transportation projects of national and regional significance that are in line with the Biden Administration’s priorities including creating good-paying jobs, improving safety, applying transformative technology, and explicitly …

“In a ruling posted on Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court has struck down Hillsborough County’s one-cent transportation sales tax. The justices ruled 4 to 1 that the restrictions on how the revenue collected from the tax could be spent are unconstitutional.” See More . . . Source: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/driving-tampa-bay-forward/florida-supreme-court-rules-hillsborough-countys-all-for-transportation-tax-unconstitutional By: Jillian Ramos